The WA government has launched a state STEM skills strategy to help students and the current workforce alike develop science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) skills to prepare for “the jobs of the future”.

Ahead of the release of its 2016 Crossroads report later this week, advocacy body StartupAUS has announced the appointment of Topaz Conway to its board and existing board director Teresa Engelhard as chairman.

The South Australian Government has released a report outlining how it can improve the commercialisation of the state’s research and better support its startup ecosystem, with the establishment of a $50 million venture capital fund and development of a single innovation policy statement among the recommendations presented.

The main topic of discussion was how Australia can become a major global competitor in technology and innovation, with Wyatt Roy, dubbed “the human disruptor” on the day, saying that the new innovation statement will be a total game changer for the industry and a total shock for driving innovation.

Last Friday, Australian advocacy group StartupAUS sat down with the newly appointed Minister for Innovation Christopher Pyne to discuss high-priority policy solutions to support startups in the areas of access to capital and hiring talent, ahead of government’s policy hackathon to take place at BlueChilli HQ this weekend.

The newly appointed Assistant Minister for Innovation The Hon. Wyatt Roy MP has teamed up with venture technology firm BlueChilli to facilitate a one-day policy hackathon to take place in Sydney next weekend.

MindHive could be described as a platform that’s bit like a Freelancer or Upwork, except instead of a website needing to built, there is a problem that needs to be solved; and it’s not just an individual working on that issue, it’s a team of people contributing to the solution.